1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to patient beds and tables and, more particularly, to a sonography bed or table having patient support and sonographer access provisions.
In the field of cardiology, sonography exams are sometimes given a more particular name, ie., echocardiography exam. In other fields say gynecology and so on, such exams are simply referenced by the more generalized name, sonogram or sonography exam. A bed in accordance with the invention is provided with an inventive top having any of various options such as and without limitation (i) one or more pop-up wedges, (ii) one or more access bays formed through the bed's lateral edge, any of which access bays, during times of non-use, (iii) are equipped to be filled in by movable or removable flaps. The inventive bed might further include the option of having (iv) one or more folding sections to convert the bed into more like a reclining chair or chaise longue. Additionally, any of the various foregoing options may be enhanced with power equipment to drive the movable components (if any) through their movements. In use for echo-cardiography (among other uses), a pop-up wedge facilitates supporting a patient to hold steady in a specific attitude (ie., of roll) on one's side, or in technical language, in a lateral decubitus position.
A number of additional features and objects will be apparent in connection with the following discussion of preferred embodiments and examples.
2. Prior Art
The reference of U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,363—Falbo, Sr., discloses an echo-cardiography bed having dual drop sections. More particularly, the bed has a mattress top that includes two drop-out sections. A principal drop-out section is located on the bed's left-side for exposing underneath a patient lying on his or her left side. The exposed portion of the patient is the heart region of the patient's left-side rib cage. This location of the principal drop-out section allows an examiner to reach up and rub a sonographic probe against the exposed left side of the rib cage. According to the reference, the other drop-out section is located to provide an opening for the examiner to use, to accommodate the examiners legs during the examination.
The text of the reference recites:—“The [examiner] may then stand in [this other] opening, or sit on mattress with the [examiner]'s legs within the opening [to do the exam]. . . . ” See, eg., the Abstract.
By way of background, echocardiography exams are one tool among others that allow diagnosis of the heart's health. Typically, a patient is asked to exercise (as on a treadmill) in order to elevate the heartbeat. Then the patient is stopped and examined immediately by an echocardiography procedure. Standardized guidelines impose a window of opportunity of only forty-five seconds or so to acquire data for a procedure known as “stress echo” or the like (although, other procedures may extend over twenty minutes). The “stress echo” exam has to be completed so swiftly because the elevated heartbeat falls away within two minutes or so (ie., after exercise is quit and not once data acquisition starts; there is a lag between exercise quit time and data acquisition start time).
The general practice in the art is to have the patient to lie down for the exam on his or her left side. Perhaps this posture causes the heart to fall against (or near) the left side of the rib cage. That way, maybe the sensitive sonograph probes that are rubbed against the left-side heart region of the rib cage can get better results.
The above-referenced patent of Falbo, Sr., discloses an exam bed having at least a principal drop-out section. Knowing the foregoing brief sketch of cardiography exams helps understanding the purpose of the principal drop-out section. The fixed part of the bed's mattress supports the stretched out patient while the principal drop-out section exposes the patient's left-side heart region of the rib cage. Exposing the patient's left-side heart region allows the examiner access to rub the sonograph probes.
To move over to another matter, the Falbo, Sr., reference also discloses a subordinate drop-out section on the opposite side of the bed. As stated, “The [examiner] may then stand in [this subordinate] opening, or sit on mattress with the [examiner]'s legs within the opening [to do the exam]. . . . ” See, eg., the Abstract.
More specifically, standing or sitting on the opposite side of the bed to do the exam presents challenges that right-handed examiners have to deal with. Such challenges include that, standing or sitting on the opposite side of the bed to do the exam entails reaching over and wrapping one's arms completely around the patient in order to rub the probe. How the probe is worked can be better envisioned by any of us by thinking of holding a coffee mug in our right hand by the handle, and rubbing the top of mug under the seat of a chair in which we sit. Except that, curled in our arm is a stretched out patient. Some right-handed examiners choose to do as left-handed examiners do, and work on the same side of the bed as the patient, either by learning sufficient dexterity with the probe in the left hand, or by suffering through an awkward posture whereby the right elbow is dropped low out to the side of the hip and then twisted upwards.
Those right-handed examiners who choose to work from the opposite side of the bed confront numerous challenges for choosing so. Frequently these kinds of patients are so obese that it is uncomfortable, inter-personally as well as physically, to wrap one's arm around them.
The prior art echocardiography beds have presented a number of shortcomings. For one, many of these patients are suffering severely from the effects of stroke or cardiac disease. They are weak, unsteady, and helpless in helping themselves maneuvering as required—ie., from pacing the treadmill, to hopping onto the bed, and then stretching out and holding still in the reclining or lateral decubitus position—even if they most ardently wanted to help themselves. Given the time constraint, the examiner must use the time efficiently both to get the patient stretched out onto his or her side and then get the exam underway. One problem examiners face is finding that—after having steadied the patient in good position for examination, then—the patient can't steady him or herself alone when let go. Whereas patients are asked to lie on their left side as a general proposition, examiners are quite particular as to the exact position they want for any given patient. This depends on factors ranging from (i) the examiner's choice to (ii) the figure and proportions of the patient.
Examiners adjust each patient swift as possible—into that examiner's favorite position, as for that particular patient, and at that particular instance of an examination—in order not to waste any time. Examiners then would like to be able to let completely go in order to turn their complete attention next on manipulating the test equipment. The position the patient was adjusted to might not be very comfortable. It might be a position that is even impossible to hold in a completely relaxed state. The examiner may be expecting the patient have some minimum ability to tense sufficient muscles somewhere in order to hold the position. But with many of these poor patients, even that expectation is too much. They are weak, unsteady, and helpless.
What is needed is an improvement which provides solutions to echocardiography examiner's problems with steadying a patient in position during an exam. It is an object of the invention to provide a means to prop and steady the patient for the exam.